WAIMEA — Kauai High School boys basketball welcomed 2019 with a big bang, taking its junior varsity match 60-31 over Waimea High School, and following that victory with a 67-45 win in the varsity contest Saturday at the Menehunes’ Clem Gomes Gym.
“This was a total team effort,” said Kauai varsity coach Ipo Yoshioka following the win. “We worked on some aspects of this meeting with Waimea during the break. The boys were ready.”
CJ Cromartie set the pace for the Raiders early in the contest, scoring nine of his game-total 19 points in the opening stanza, when Kauai moved ahead 15-7 lead while holding Waimea’s point guard Wade Pimsaguan to just five points.
During the Kauai Interscholastic Federation matchup, Kauai never relinquished its early lead, and went to nine players on its 15-member roster for production.
“One of the things we worked on was to get everyone to get the feeling and experience of contributing,” Yoshioka said. “This was one of the greatest feeling a coach can have — when everyone feels like they helped with the game.”
Picking up on Cromartie’s lead, the Raiders saw Kaimani Tecson finish with nine marks, Keane Tibon added seven points, Jayden Felipe-Calapatia ended with five points, Hunter Yoshioka burned a three-pointer in the third stanza, and Gavin Toyofuku catalyzing a cheering eruption with his three points in the second quarter.
Pairs from Jim Ehia, Miles Davis and Joshua “Iwi” Rivera accounted for the Raider math.
“We shot 27 percent,” said Waimea head coach Dino Pabre. “We missed 16 of our free throws. We were on the line for 32 times, and could only come up with 16. If we had shot 75 percent, that would have changed the complexion of the game. We just didn’t execute tonight. But we’re positive about what is ahead — if we change, things are going to happen.”
Pimsaguan had a game-high 26 points for Waimea, including a trio of three-pointers. He also finished 7-10 from the charity stripe, including a perfect pair in the first quarter when Waimea sounded the buzzer on a 5-9 showing on the free throw line.
Eilon Jamorabon and Mayson Broyles finished with five points apiece, with Isahn Ulanday, Joey Perpose and Lacin Montemayor rounding out the Menehune math with three points each.
Ridge Serraoan, Ian Asuncion and Ellsworth Doza Kaleiohi led the Kauai JV with 10, nine, and eight points, respectively, in its run over the JV Menehune, who got a game-high 11 points from Damien Akita.
“The good thing about the KIF is that you still have round two,” Pabre said. “Remember last year? We still have work to do. There is a lot more basketball ahead of us.”
Kauai, with its third win in the first round, next hosts Kapaa High Tuesday at the Kauai High School gym.
“This total team effort is good ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with Kapaa,” Yoshioka said. “There are still things we need to work on, but the meeting with Kapaa should be a good one.”
The junior varsity match tips off at 5:30 p.m. with the varsity game starting about 20 minutes following the completion of the JV match.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
